African citril explained

The African citril (Crithagra citrinelloides), also known as the Abyssinian citril, is a species of finch. It is found from Ethiopia, Eritrea to western Kenya. It is closely related to the western and southern citril, to which it was formerly considered conspecific.

Phylogeny

The African citril was formerly placed in the genus Serinus but phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences found that the genus was polyphyletic.^[1] The genus was therefore split and a number of species including the African citril were moved to the resurrected genus Crithagra.^{[2] [3]}

Habitat

This bird was studied in the Degua Tembien massif, and observed to be a breeding resident of woodland edges, scrubland and forest edges.^[4]

Notes and References

1. Zuccon . Dario . Prŷs-Jones . Robert . Rasmussen . Pamela C. . Ericson . Per G.P. . 2012 . The phylogenetic relationships and generic limits of finches (Fringillidae) . Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . 62 . 2 . 581–596 . 10.1016/j.ympev.2011.10.002 . 22023825.
2. Web site: Gill . Frank . Donsker . David . Finches, euphonias . World Bird List Version 5.2. International Ornithologists' Union. 5 June 2015 .
3. Swainson . William . William John Swainson . 1827 . On several forms in ornithology not hitherto defined . Zoological Journal . 3 . 348 .
4. Book: Aerts . R. . Lerouge . F. . November . E. . Birds of forests and open woodlands in the highlands of Dogu'a Tembien. In: Nyssen J., Jacob, M., Frankl, A. (Eds.). Geo-trekking in Ethiopia's Tropical Mountains - The Dogu'a Tembien District . 2019 . SpringerNature . 978-3-030-04954-6 .